Buckle.



E. H. WHEELER. BUCKLE. APPLICATION FILED IuNEzz, Isn.

Lmg mem@ me 4,1913,

. vention- Bcxiir..

To all whom t may concern.' i A 4 Be it known that I, EDWARD H. WHEELER, a citizen of the Unitedv States, residing at yHartford, in the county of Hartford. and'y State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buckles,." y

y the latter being attached to the'garmentV at the opposite side to the strap 16. Theclasp. `device is formed in two coacting parts, a

of which the following: is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in character adapted for'use for lsecuring the straps of overshoes, raincoats andthe like,V and has for one of its objectsto simplify and, Y improve the construction A and increase the" acter..

Anotherobject "of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may efliciency and utility of devices of'thisjchar--' be readily adjusted to adapt it t9 Shoes and Other gaI'IIleiits of various sizes, and to like# wise adaptthe garment tothe' 'size' ofthe person of the wearer, and without detachfl ing any of the parts. y Withthese and yother objects in view, the' invention consists in certain novel features` of construction,.las hereinafter' shownand described and then speciiically pointed, out y in the claims; and. in thedrawingsillustrative of the preferred embodiment of the in-A Figure l is a plan viewof .one of theim-L proved buckles in closed position; y

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectiony on the line* 2-2 of Fig. 1 without the straps;

`Fig is a detached perspective View of A 'thev 'body or base. portion;

Fig. 4 represents detachedl perspective views of the members comprising the lockn ing clasp portion ofthe device;

Fig. 5 represents detached perspective views of a modied construction of the loclring clasp portion of therdevce. v y

The improved device comprises a bodyor base portion 10, preferably curved longi- V 4,tudinally and with a relatively large open-` ing 'or eyell at one end and formed intoy alternating openings 12 and transverse bars 13. The openings extendonly a part of the@v distance transversely of the body 10 "leaving `longitudinally directed portions 14 at ther.

sides.' The side edges of `thebody 10 are'- preferably directed. outwardly to .form ,side guards or ribs 15. A strap 16 is connected to the terminal opening 1 2 at one endof the. body, "the" strap` being `secured-in any' suitable manner to the shoe, coat or other gar?v `Specificatiofirof- Letters Patent. Patented June 4, 1191-8. v Applicationwled `.'iine 22,1917. Serial No. 176,372.

" ment to which the device is applied, the lat. ter not shown as it forms no part of theV present invention. v y

The bars 13 betweenv theapertures 12 provide means for supporting a suitable claspV device to which anotherj strap 17 is'attached,

body portion-bent intermediate its ends to form yspaced sides 1,8--19, the side 18 having tongues 21 and is bent laterally of the body 'f to form a relatively long loop 24. The port tion 19 of theclasp-body is reduced at one i f' endlthe reduced portionturned into an eye 25, theeye corresponding in length to the f,

lvwidth of the tongue 24. .The other portion of the'clasp comprises a plate 26 having yan opening 27 to' receive the strap 17 and 'with a transverse bar 28 spaced from the other end, the latter being slightly rounded to be engaged by the eye 250i? the portion 19 of the 'clasp body. The terminals 29-30 of theu plate 26 in advance of the bar 28 are slightly curved and are adapted to engage vvrespectively with-the tongues 21-'23. The tongue 24 is slightlyless in width than the,y 'lengthsof the openings 12 of the body 10 vand isdesignedto engage through the ,open-A ings one at a time, while the tongues 21-23 operate over. thevv unperforated portions 14 of the bodylO and next to the guard ribs 15. -T he Aportions 29'-30. extending in ladvance of the bar28 providing a locking,

means whereby the clasp device is yielda'bly' coupled to the body 10."

When the buckledeviceis to be applied the body 10 which is attached to the strap *16 is placed against the body of the garment to which it is attached andthe body portion 18-19 of the clasp turned over toward the plate 26. This disposes the kpoint of the hook or loop member 24 above the outer face of the body 10, and the requisite strain is The body portion of the clasp is then forced over into-.parallel relation to the bo-dy4 10,

ioo

applied to the strap 17 to place the hook or `loop `24 opposite one of the openings 12. y

which movement causesthe terminals 29-30 E to applyya considerable r,strain against the,

tongues21'22 and pass between'them and the" side portions 14 of the body io, this Aing the sweep of the hook.-

movement likewise causing the hook or loop 24 to pass through the adjacent opening-12 if and around the nearest transverse bar The clasp device being constructed of resilthe parts and likewise maintain the requisite strain upon 'the straps.

In rig. 5 a Slight modificati@ in the manner of constructing the clasp device isshown. In the modified structure the body portion of the clasp is constructed with a strap receiving aperture 31 and spaced clefts 32 whereby tongues 33-34-35 are produced. The tongue portions 33 are bent at their free-ends into eyes 37-38, while the central tongue 34 extends in advancejof the eyes. Ihe portion just described corresponds substantially. to the member 18-19, while the part which corresponds to the plate 26 comprises a plate 39 reduced at one end and the reducedportion bent upon itself to form a loop 40v and the bent-over portion extended into a hook or loop 41,

which corresponds to the hook orl loop 24.

Spurs 42-43 extend from the reduced portion of the member 39 to 'engagein the eyes 37, the spurs being spaced from the portion 40, so that when the body member 33 containing the tongue 34 -is .rotated upon vthe spurs 42-43, the elongatedportion 40 en'- gages the tongue 34 and thus performs the same function as the terminal 29-30 ofv the plate 26.

All of the parts erably steel, and can be inexpensively-manufactured entirely by machinery, thus pracll The` tically eliminating manual operations. guard ribs l5 protect the clasp members, and

stiii'en the bodylO, thus enabling the latter to be constructed from-thinner metal tha would otherwise be possible. r

It will be noted that in form lof the sti-ue ture shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, that the portion 44 of the hook 24 is, disposed irearwardly of the eye 25, thus materially reducrIhe base portion of the-buckle is curved longitudinally to conform tothe transverse curvature of theshoewith which it is assoto catch upon theA clothing.,Y

of the improvedA buckle" are pressed or struck"fromsheetfmetal, pref,

Having thus described Vthe invention, what is claimed as new is: l. Algbuclrle comprising av base ymember adapted to support a holding strap having longitudinally directed lands at the sides and a plurality of transverse bars in spaced vice includingnabody having longitudinally directed clefts' to yproduce a plurality of relrelation between the lands, and a/claspfde.

silient tongues and a locking member rotas tably. engaging said body member andin` cluding 'projections Vengaging said tongues and a hook engagingoneof said bars, an,

other holding strap being adapted: to be connected to said clasp device.,

2. Abuckle comprising a basemei ber adapted ,toy support a holding strap"` having i i y a plurality of transverse barsin spaced rela! tion, anda clasp deviceincluding ar body having longitudinally directed clefts to prol duce aplurality of resilienttonguesfand a locking member rotatably engaging said body 4member and including projections en` ing adapted to be connected'to' saidf'clasp.A

outturned guard ribs at the sidesfandfa plu-7: rality of transverse bars'in-spaced relation,

and al clasp device including a bodyihaving longitudinally directed clefts to produce a plurality of resilient tongues anda locking member-rotatablyengaging said vb'odyrmein-` "ber and includingprojectionsl engagingcs'aid tonguesl and av hook ,engagingone .of said bars, said clasp device, bearing upontheloo `holding strap adaptedV to'be connected.. to i' body between the guard ribs` and another said claspdevice.M Y

adapted to support a holding strap having the ends to producecoactingportions exy ",110

tending face to .f ace,V one of Ysaidrrcoactin'g Yportions terminatingy in an eye and the other... fcoacting portion having` longitudinally dif 4. A buckle comprisingwa baseinfiember` rected clefts vto produce an 'intermediate diate vtonguesy extended into a 'hook to ltongue and outer tongue with ,the vinterme- 115 l engage' said bars oneat a time, anda locktongues. a

`ing member includinga bar to engage said Y eye and projections -to engage said outer c'iated, and the clasp members when closed lie flat upon the base, thus producing a rela- '120. tively thin buckle with nov projecting partsi {EDWARD H. :WHEELER [1.. sg i` Gopiesof thisy patent may beobtained for ve cents each/,i-iby addressing theieninssioneroif 'Iiatental` Washingt'dm D .'C., i

gaging said tongues and a hook engaging.{.8.5

oneof said, bars, another holding ,strap be?"l 

